junho 22, 2007
Piano Trio in g minor
This piano trio is in two movements: a canon and a rondo. The principle theme is 20 measures in length, not including a rest after the eighth. With the exception of the final few measures, this theme is played completely through each time it is introduced. The violin immediately opens with it. From there, it reappears at the following measures: 14-piano treble clef, 27-cello, 40-piano bass clef, 48-piano treble clef, 50-violin. At measure 70 an eight measure piano solo is introduced. This is repeated three more times. During the first, a cello solo is layered on top of it. When the cello repeats its part along with piano, the violin joins in with the principle theme of the canon. This time there is no rest after the eighth measure. As the violin continues with the theme, there is a four measure change in the piano-cello accompaniment. The piece ends as the violin finishes out the main theme with the final reiteration of the piano-cello eight measure duet.
The A theme of the rondo (which is the one that rondos keep returning to) is 24 measures long and is actually one or both of two melodies played in counterpoint. The first of these melodies begins in the violin after an eight measure introduction by the cello. The B theme, beginning at measure 33, is a four part fugue based on the first four measures of the cello introduction. This section proved to be the most challenging of the entire piece. I began with the four measure phrase in the cello. In a fugue, each voice comes in either a fifth above or a fourth below the previous voice. Other than this change in pitch, I wanted all four voices to be identical. The second voice is given to the left hand of on the piano. The first four measures are fairly easy: simply transpose the cello part up a fifth. The continuation of the first voice part just needs to harmonize with the second. This harmonization is then added on to the second voice in the appropriate transposition. So long as they're left to themselves, these two voices can follow this pattern and go anywhere they want to. The introduction of the third and fourth voices, given to the right hand of the piano and to the violin, changes this. Since these restate the first two voices, their opening measures are merely more transposition of what's already been written. Now the options for the first two voices are suddenly very limited. While maintaining their own internal relationship, they must now fit in with the third and fourth voices, which are, themselves, locked in to what the first two voices have already done.
The B theme continues on through measure 68 and is followed by an eight measure interlude in the piano. The A theme returns in measure 77 with the cello and violin giving an exact restatement. This time, the piano joins in with a running bass line and the counter melody in the treble clef. The cello drops out for the C theme, which is given to the violin. The piano accompanies it with arpeggios. When the A theme returns at measure 118, it is somewhat disguised. A variation of the cello part is given to a single line on the piano. The cello plays the counter melody and the violin is silent. The cello and piano continue with the D section at measure 142. They are joined by the violin at measure 150. When the A theme returns at measure 190, the cello part and the running bass of the piano are the same as when it appeared the second time. This time, however, the main melody is given to the treble cleff in the piano and the violin takes the counter melody. This is followed by a variation on the C theme. The rondo concludes with the violin and cello restating the opening A theme as the piano provides a march like accompaniment.
Allegro2007TrioIIRondo.pdf TrioICanon.mp3 TrioIIRondo.mp3